The Devil's Advocate (Eddie Flynn #6) - Steve Cavanagh

A DEADLY PROSECUTOR

They call him the King of Death Row. Randal Korn has sent more men to their deaths than any district attorney in the history of the United States.

A TWISTED RITUALISTIC KILLING

When a young woman, Skylar Edwards, is found murdered in Buckstown, Alabama, a corrupt sheriff arrests the last person to see her alive, Andy Dubois. It doesn't seem to matter to anyone that Andy is innocent.

A SMALL TOWN BOILING WITH RAGE

Everyone in Buckstown believes Andy is guilty. He has no hope of a fair trial. And the local defense attorney assigned to represent him has disappeared.

A FORMER CON-ARTIST

Hot shot New York lawyer Eddie Flynn travels south to fight fire with fire. He plans to destroy the prosecutors case, find the real killer and save Andy from the electric chair.

But the murders are just beginning.

Is Eddie Flynn next? 

What did I think?

This is only the second Eddie Flynn book that I have read but I was so excited to receive a copy that it didn't linger very long on my TBR.  That's the beauty of Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn books: you can jump into any of them mid-series and they are still AWESOME!

I love New York lawyer Eddie Flynn and the way that he and his team work.  It seems like they are really up against it this time when they are called to Alabama to defend a young man against a district attorney who has a 100% death penalty conviction record.  DA Randal Korn is evil personified and Andy Dubois is his latest target; he doesn't care whether Andy is guilty or not, he just wants to watch another man die and know that he had the power to put him in the chair. 

Eddie Flynn believes that Andy is innocent but with corruption in the local sheriff's department and the whole town baying for Andy's blood he really has his work cut out to prove it.  Enter Flynn's new partner Kate Brooks, investigator Bloch (armed with her impressive gun named Maggie) and not forgetting old pal Harry and the dream team is ready to fight evil in Alabama.

Korn is so creepy he really made my skin crawl and if I thought he was evil then I was completely unprepared for 'The Pastor'.  I don't want to give away any plot spoilers but wow this is a powerful storyline.  The Pastor is the puppet master pulling the strings of the whole town to play out a shocking plan.  It's frightening to see how easily people can be manipulated and this is wonderfully portrayed by Steve Cavanagh in his breathtaking plot.

The Devil's Advocate is FANTASTIC!  I raced through it, only pausing to tell people how brilliant it is.  I may have only read two of them but Eddie Flynn is fast becoming one of my favourite series.  With vivid courtroom scenes and an incredibly sharp plot, The Devil's Advocate is crime writing at its finest.  It's so very highly recommended and don't worry if you haven't read any of the earlier books, it's exceptional as a standalone.

I received an ARC from the publisher and boy did I choose to read it - just try and stop me!  All opinions are my own.

My rating:

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In the Middle of Middle America - David B. Lyons

 

WHEN LIVES ENTANGLE, WEBS WILL WEAVE...

Time: September, 1997.

Place: Lebanon, Kansas—quite literally, as marked by a monument, the very middle of middle America.

A teacher. A soldier. An immigrant. A joker. A loner. A chancer. A carer.

A mosaic of seven regular townsfolk are going about their days, blissfully unaware their lives are about to interweave, interchange and interact; entangling into such a messy web that, together — and unbeknownst to them — their lives end up changing the face of America forevermore.

In the mold of movies such as Traffic, Magnolia & The Usual Suspects, In the Middle of Middle America follows multiple characters and allows the reader to become a fly on the wall to observe these seven lives entangling into such a mess that they ultimately lead the reader into a head-spinning twist.

What did I think?

OMG!  This may very well be one of the best books I have ever read.  Just scroll down to the bottom of my review and click the buy link now - you will not be disappointed.  For anyone still reading, I'll tell you why I loved this book so much.

With a number of character storylines to follow, it is indeed a tangled web that is woven by David B. Lyons in his latest novel, In the Middle of Middle America.  There may be a decent number of characters but it never gets confusing as each one is brought to life through the absolutely flawless writing and I really cared about each and every one of them.  Even the small town location of Lebanon, Kansas feels like almost a character in itself and there really is a monument there marking the very centre of America.

This book is so perfectly plotted that it will blow your mind.  I know I was left like a gaping fish out of water at the end, gasping for breath and flapping around in excitement as the magnitude of the absolute masterpiece I had just experienced finally hit me.  David B. Lyons is the Master of Misdirection and this is without doubt his magnum opus - it really is nothing short of a masterpiece.  Stand up and take a bow, Mr Lyons!  I certainly gave him a virtual round of applause at the end.

Five stars is not enough for In the Middle of Middle America; it's simply outstanding!  Honestly, I can't stop raving about this book - it's an absolute MUST READ!  It's a book I would like to read again, even though I now know the awesome twist, just to see how cleverly it is written.  David B. Lyons is such a talented wordsmith and coupled with his intricate plotting makes him one of the cleverest authors I've come across.

Easily my favourite book of 2021, In the Middle of Middle America is an outstanding small town mystery suspense that sure packs a big punch.  I challenge you to read a better book this year!  I don't just recommend it, I implore you to read it - I guarantee you won't regret it.  

I received a digital ARC from the author to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Therapist - Helene Flood (Author), Alison McCullough (Translator)

 

At first it's the lie that hurts.

A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did.

She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.

To get to the root of Sigurd's disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.

Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?

Translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough

What did I think?

Helene Flood's debut adult novel starts with such a great hook that it kept me riveted from start to finish.  I love the drama of secrets and lies and there are a lot of buried secrets to unearth in The Therapist.  I have to say that the translation by Alison McCullough is so flawless that it's easy to forget the book was originally written in Norwegian.

The main character of Sara is a bit of a strange one; she doesn't seem to like people that much despite having to deal with them in her role as a therapist.  Sara is always tired and lethargic making me wonder whether there is an underlying reason for her lack of energy or whether she is just plain lazy.  Sara's marriage to Sigurd certainly seems to have sucked the life out of her and she's very quick to believe his friends (who she clearly doesn't like) rather than his voicemail when Sigurd disappears.  That speaks volumes!

With her strange actions, little inconsistencies and even questioning herself sometimes, Sara turns out to be a very unreliable narrator.  I loved the intriguing little glimpses into Sara's past and found myself almost creating a virtual painting of Sara's character, adding layer upon layer as more is revealed.  There are a number of suspects in the book and I was delighted to find that I was completely blindsided and had pinned my colours to the wrong mast!  I think I need to read it again to see how I was misdirected.

So very atmospheric and tense, The Therapist is an enthralling mystery and one that had me questioning everything I read.  It's definitely more of a slow burner but very well written and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Helene Flood book.

I received a gifted copy to participate in the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Reckless - R. J. McBrien

 

You think you'll stay the same – you won't. Infidelity will change you forever. There can be no going back.

Kirsten Calloway knows she should be grateful. She has a stable marriage, decent job, and a wonderful teenage daughter. But she also has a raging libido that won't shut up, and a husband who'd rather go on a bike ride.

She bumps into an old friend at a school reunion who faces a similar problem. Dianne, though, has found the answer: a discreet agency which arranges casual sex for people just like them, people who want to keep their marriages but also scratch that itch.

Enter Zac: younger, handsome and everything Kirsten could hope for in bed. For a while, they seem to have it all. Kirsten even finds herself becoming a better wife and mother. But Zac wants more – a lot more, and he'll stop at nothing to get it.

Sexually charged, shocking and relatable, Reckless is a profound exploration of marriage, motherhood and desire.

What did I think?

Reckless sounded like something a little different to what I would usually read but it just happens to be the title of my favourite album so I couldn't resist.  I was worried that it would have more than a foot in the erotica camp but my fears were unfounded as it barely dips a toe in that genre, being more of a suspenseful mystery thriller.

Kirsten's marriage seems to have stagnated so she is considering cheating on her husband.  Obviously talking to him about it would be the obvious choice but that would have resulted in a very short book!  The mysterious agency she uses to find a hook-up is very cloak and dagger and this adds an extra layer of suspense to the illicit nature of the plot.  With flashbacks to her past, Kirsten appears to be trying to re-experience the feelings of her first love and 'Zac' seems to do the trick.  That is until Zac gets more serious and wants more from Kirsten but that's definitely not what she has signed up for.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Reckless and I actually said out loud when I finished it that 'I really rather enjoyed that!'  R. J. McBrien's writing is very accomplished and the plotting is so intricately constructed that it left me breathless.  I loved the inclusion of police reports and witness statements that made me feel part of the investigation and added a police procedural slant to the novel.  The mystery is very well played and I didn't see it coming at all.

Reckless is a suspenseful page-turner and an absolutely stunning debut.  Adding the fizz of sexual tension to an already tense novel makes it a real firecracker and it's a well deserved rating of 4.5 stars from me.  I definitely recommend it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The C Word: For some lockdown has been murder - various authors

 

100% of all royalties from The C Word will be donated to NHS Together Charities.

So, what do writers do during Lockdown? They create murder, mystery, death and destruction of course!

The C Word is a collection of short stories collated during the COVID-19 pandemic to raise money for NHS Charities Together. A plethora of wonderful stories created by a wide variety of writers, each with their own unique style. Some you will know already and some we’ve yet to introduce you to. However, we’re sure you’ll want to hear from each & every one of them again as we leave 2020 behind us.

With contributions from Steve Mosby, Sophie Hannah, Elly Griffiths, Sarah Hilary, Rob Scragg, Trevor Wood and many more

What did I think?

Compiled by SpellBound Books with 100% of royalties being donated to NHS Together Charities, there's something for everyone in this wonderful anthology.  With 26 contributors, you could find some of your favourite authors and maybe even a new favourite among them.  I often struggle with short stories but I have to say that this collection is fabulous and there's not one single story that I would rate less than four stars.  

It states on the cover that it's an anthology of murder, mystery, death and destruction so the stories have one thing in common: they're all dark.  Of course, some are darker than others but whether it gives you a gasp out loud or a goosebumpy surprise, I think every reader will find at least one favourite story that sticks with them.

The C Word is an outstanding charity anthology for a very good cause, so make sure you click one of those buy links below to show your support and gratitude for everything the NHS has done for us over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Ghosts - Dolly Alderton

Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. When she meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he's going to marry her, it feels like all is going to plan.

A new relationship couldn't have come at a better time - her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs. There's no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who's caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia.

Dolly Alderton's debut novel is funny and tender, filled with whip-smart observations about relationships, family, memory, and how we live now.

What did I think?

I was looking for something light to read and decided on Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, expecting a light-hearted and funny dating style rom-com.  Whilst it is partly a rom-com, it's certainly much more than that and I found it surprisingly more poignant and heart-wrenching than funny.

Apart from her day job of food writer, Nina Dean has two main parts to play in Ghosts: girlfriend and daughter.  As (potential) girlfriend we see her negotiating through the tricky minefield of online dating then choosing a man who seems too good to be true.  As if new relationships weren't difficult enough, Nina's dad is showing the first signs of dementia and her mum is going through some kind of identity crisis.  Nina certainly has a lot of balls to juggle.

There are so many things that I liked about Nina; her size 11 size (having been an annoying size 13 in my past), her middle name of George (after George Michael) and her friendship with her ex-boyfriend Joe to name but a few.  I really liked how The Edge of Heaven by Wham was woven into the story and resulted in one or two surprises for the characters.  I defy anyone not to sing the opening 'Yeah yeah yeah' to themselves while reading Ghosts but I had absolutely no idea what the song was about until now.  Yikes!  

Nina's burgeoning relationship with Max made me want to reach into the book and tell Nina to run away very fast.  There must be something in our DNA that makes a woman go all weak in the knees when a man says he wants to marry her, even on a first date.  There would be scorch marks on the floor and a puff of smoke in his place if a woman said that to a man when they first met.  It's all part of the dating game, a game for two players but only one of them knows the rules.

Although it wasn't the laugh out loud book I was expecting, Ghosts is a very enjoyable read; it's honest, heartfelt and surprisingly poignant.

I received an ARC from the publisher to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: All the Fun of the Fair - Caroline Hulse

 

The Fair is the only good thing that happens every year. And Fiona Larson is the only person in town who's never been.

She's pretended to go - but she's never been allowed. Because, before Fiona was even born, her sister died there.

This year, everything will be different.

Fiona is about to turn twelve - older than her sister was. This summer, Fiona will save some money, make new friends, and finally have some fun at The Fair.

But what she'll actually do is:

- Find a mysterious bag in a bush

- Spy on everyone

- Lose her only friend

- Make a lot of lists

- Learn the truth about what happened at The Fair...

Fresh and hilarious, All the Fun of the Fair is a deeply poignant coming-of-age novel from sensational talent Caroline Hulse.

What did I think?

I was drawn to All the Fun of the Fair not only by the mystery of what happened to Fiona's sister but by the allure of Fiona herself and the intriguing setting of 1996.  Now to an oldie like me that doesn't seem so long ago and I had to pinch myself when I realised that it was actually 25 years ago!  I may have been a lot older than Fiona in '96 but Caroline Hulse's wonderfully nostalgic novel transported me back to my own schooldays.  I'd totally forgotten about those paper fortune tellers - we were totally obsessed with them back in the day.

There's something so magical about the fair coming to town but for 11 year-old Fiona Larson it is a complete mystery.  Fiona is not allowed to go to the fair because her sister died there.  A sister who was perfect in every way and still has a bigger bedroom than Fiona.  Oh you can't help but have all the feels for Fiona, she is living in her sister's shadow and her parents just can't see it.  Fiona is so inquisitive and she is naturally curious about her sister's death so, with the help of The Junior Spy's Secret Handbook, she starts to investigate what actually happened all those years ago at the fair.

It just shows you that keeping secrets, even when you think it's for the best, can cause assumptions to be made that morph the secret into something even more frightening.  Left to run wild, there is no end to the lengths your imagination can go especially when you're a child.  Rather interestingly, that's not the only secret that Fiona's parents are hiding and it's something that's hinted at throughout the novel but possibly won't be picked up by all readers and I'm saying no more about it in case Fiona returns with a sequel (and I do hope she does).

Caroline Hulse's wonderful writing really brings Fiona Larson to life and gives her such a distinctive and unusual voice.  I loved Fiona's list making and her inventive way of making money to go to the fair which had me almost crying with laughter.  I felt quite sorry for Fiona's parents at times as their grief is never-ending and I can't imagine how devastating it must be to lose a child.  Fiona has such a lot to deal with in her young life, you can't help but take her to your heart.

All the Fun of the Fair is a quirky, nostalgic and incredibly poignant read; I won't be forgetting Fiona Larson in a hurry.  It's unusual, funny and charming and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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